[alnaqba]

Jet Blue only allows food to be purchased by credit card or debit card. My 14 year old daughter had to fly from Boston to San Jose and got nothing to eat.
In addition there is no staff available to answer questions or assistance. This might as well be called "bare bones" airlines. Even at baggage there was nobody available to tell us where the list baggage was. Picking up the white courtesy phone only got a recorded message that never gives you the option to speak to an agent.
Airport security (if you can call those rent a cops that) were of no assistance.
You get what you pay for and with this airline you don't get much.
No customer service at all.

[The_Judge]

Yes.....now you're getting the idea. LCC's give nothing for free, especially food on flights. It's easy to sit back now and say you should have done this or that but really, I would have investigating the hell out of what the service was on the flight before I put my son or daughter on an airplane for a cross-country trip alone. At minimum, have her bring food with her.

As far as the statement about no staff, I don't believe it. People are there but they just might be RIGHT there. Where I worked before, we had work the airplane before we could go in and take care of customers. The staff was there but doing other things.

Airport security is just that, AIRPORT security. Nothing to do with the airline so shouldn't even have been mentioned.

And yes, you get what you pay for. LCC's you pay very little and get exactly that.

[jimworcs]

The use of debit and credit cards onboard is flagged up on their website, but you have to look for it. I think it is to reduce the costs associated with cash handling... however, I am sure the FA could have found a passenger willing to put $10 on their card, in return for the cash from your daughter. Sometimes, all it would take is a little human kindness... it seems to be in short supply in the airline industry.

The Judge is right. The model of the LCC's is to lower cost by reducing the levels of service. However, JetBlue is typically a good example of an LCC. ~Try Delta.. high cost and low service - even worse!

[azstar]

As part of the 50.00 per flight unaccompanied minor fee, Frontier is the only airline, I believe, that offers both food and TV to children travelling alone.

[cortney]

they may as well not fly then. no carrier gives you a snack anymore. i always bring my own, plus then im not paying $10 for chips. and why should the flight crew ask jim? you said "all it would take is a little human kindness" why couldn't the passenger next to them offer? why is it all of a sudden human kindness is in short supply of only the flight crews, how about other passengers or ANYBODY in that matter

[jimworcs]

If the child asked the FA to buy food, and was rejected, then the FA was in a position to extend the human kindness.

I can offer, if you like, a more detailed explanation of bystander apathy and dissipated responsibility... but I am not sure you want a lesson in social psychology. Notwithstanding the strange case of Kitty Genovese, upon which this psychological principle was established, take it from me.. the responsibility rested on the shoulders of the FA.

[cortney]

im still going to disagree with it. its not in my job (and i know i would feel uncomfortable doing it) asking other passengers to buy this child a snack. last thing (i can see how it would go down at least at the company i work for)...is to be called into the "crystal palace" and being scolded.."cortney, why did you ask this passenger to buy this passenger a snack, that child is not their responsibility"(lets face it we all know how airline management works). plus the OP never said the child asked to buy food. (btw, the human body can go 3 weeks without food, just need water everyday)this person just stated that their child had nothing to eat. my question is, why didn't the parent buy THEIR child something at the airport before they got on the plane, or bring them chips, cookies or whatever for their carryon. i think it falls in the fault of the parent on this. one more question. did jetblue get rid of their inflight snacks? i flew on them 2-3 years ago and they had free chips/cookies and beverages

[jimworcs]

I wasn't suggesting that the FA should ask the passenger to buy the food for the child. I was suggesting that the passenger should put the food on a card and the child would give the passenger the money. This is a different thing, and I am not sure at all how the "airline management" would hear about or why they would find anything wrong with it.

As for the parent giving the child something to eat, I agree. But they may have instead given the child money to buy something. Who would think that an airline would refuse to accept cash?

On the free stuff... I checked their website. It says that they do have free stuff.. this is the list..

We can't stand the thought of serving you regular airline food, so instead we've got a wide assortment of irresistible snacks and drinks. Want more than one? Be our guest.


Snacks

• Terra Blues® Chips
• Doritos® Munchies Mix
• Linden's Chocolate Chippers
• All Nuts roasted cashews
• Stauffers® Animal Crackers
• Chifles® Plantain Chips

Cold drinks

• Coke®/Diet Coke®/Coke Zero®
• Sprite®/Sprite Zero®
• Ginger Ale
• Seltzer Water
• Tonic Water
• Cranberry Juice
• Orange Fusion
• Apple Juice
• Tomato Juice
• Bloody Mary Mix
• Arizona® Iced Tea
• Aquarius Spring!™ Water

Dunkin' Donuts® hot drinks

• Original Blend Coffee
• Decaf® Coffee
• Tea
• Decaf Tea

On that basis.. I think this complaint is without merit, unless the FA also refused to offer the child any of the free stuff.

[The_Judge]

I think this complaint is without merit

<ding ding ding> we have a winner!!! That is what I was trying to convey in my previous post but in a roundabout way.

[NewJerseyDevils]

Originally Posted by jimworcs

If the child asked the FA to buy food, and was rejected, then the FA was in a position to extend the human kindness.

I can offer, if you like, a more detailed explanation of bystander apathy and dissipated responsibility... but I am not sure you want a lesson in social psychology. Notwithstanding the strange case of Kitty Genovese, upon which this psychological principle was established, take it from me.. the responsibility rested on the shoulders of the FA.

I think it's the parents responsibilty to pack snacks or stop at Quizno's so their child has something to eat on the plane. If I were a passenger on the plane I would think that if the parent wanted the child to eat on the plane they would have arranged for them to have food on the plane. What would happen if the FA arranged for the cash/credit card exchange and the kid was allergic to something they ate? Sad fact is they would be sued.

[wkharris2001]

an easy solution to all of those "cash only" people like my dad who refuses to get a bank card or credit card. is to get one of the reloadable prepaid credit cards at walgreens. it costs like $6 to initially get the card i think but after you purchase the card you can reload it by paying cash at a Walgreen's. so now every time he fly's he goes and loads like $20 on the card so if he chooses he can purchase an adult beverage or food on board if he's not lucky enough to be cleared into the first class cabin.

here is a link to a website for one of the cards i was talking about. there are several different companies offering these though greendot is not the only one. http://www.greendotonline.com

[jimworcs]

It is a very sad state of affairs that every time something is suggested that people should look out for other people and the children of our society, the reason given for not doing so is the fear of litigation. Children who are lost are not approached, kids who fall over are not comforted, distressed children are not hugged, and children who are misbehaving are not scolded. The effect is the alienation of children from the rest of society. Kids are now being taught, particularly in the US, but also in England and other western countries to be afraid of strangers and to be suspicious of kindness. Contrast this with some african nations or even modern western countries like Italy and you will see a very different approach. You will also see children who are not medicated up to the eyeballs, in "counselling" and treatment programmes and diagnosed with fake, western illnesses such as Oppositional Defiance Disorder.

Before you all jump on me, I am not suggesting that the Flight Attendants failure to help the child is responsible for the downfall of western civilisation, but this reluctance to show kindness, help children and approach them is part of a wider malaise and is very damaging. We are more and more turning people into "corporate robots" with little or no discretion to help anyone regardless of the circumstances. There are many examples on here where passengers have experienced hostility and nastiness which is totally uncalled for. The fear of employees that showing some discretion, kindness or even, god forbid, breaking the rules to help someone in need stems from a toxic mix of corporate greed and a society which seems to be more and more individualistic and less and less social.

[mccosha]

I am confused with this post. I fly Jet Blue very often, simply because we LOVE them. My son and I just went on a 6 week vacation flying around the US and then to Australia, and Jet Blue was one of the best services we've had! The worst being Hawaiian Airlines. Maybe we were lucky 6 times in a row with JB, but the crew was absolutely fantastic.

[Cynthia]

Let me get this straight. A 14 year-old girl went without food for what - 6, maybe seven hours? Oh, the horror! Perhaps someone should write this up in the Darfur Gazette.

[airplanegod]

AW wah wah. As jimworks said above, unless they refused to give her free food, you don't have a story. With regard to the "rent a cops", they aren't run by the airlines anymore after 9/11. It's now run by TSA workers.